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What are the best hair regrowth products for women? Are there natural hair regrowth treatments for women? Below, find insight on laser hair regrowth for women reviews, and tips for hair regrowth for black women.
Female pattern hair loss, also called androgenic alopecia, is a common problem that as much as 40% of women will have to deal with in their life. In addition to this genetic trait, too-tight-a-hair style can cause hair loss in addition to stress, vitamin and mineral deficiency, thyroid problems, and certain medications. This detailed guide will share with you the numerous hair regrowth options for women including natural hair loss treatment options.
Best Hair Regrowth Products for Women
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of female hair loss. This is a genetic trait that can be inherited from either of the two parents and causes new hair shafts to grow progressively thinner. Although this can start any time after puberty, it often becomes noticeable during menopause when hormonal changes compound it.
Luckily, there are numerous hair regrowth products for women out there that you can use to reduce hair loss and possible trigger a regrowth of hair.
Minoxidil is the ingredient used in most hair regrowth products for women because it is safe when used in the 2% concentration approved by the FDA as opposed to the 5% that is typically used for treatment of men hair loss. The 5% dose can lead to facial growth when used in women.
Minoxidil is applied to the scalp topically two times a day and works by prolonging the hair growth phase. Minoxidil doesn’t require prescription. It is available over the counter as Rogaine. Hair regrowth is often noticeable in about six months and hair density often falls back to its original level after about 3 months if you stop using minoxidil.
There are also various herbal hair regrowth products for women that have been shown to do a great job. The ingredients vary from one product to the other but most ultimately aim at ensuring healthy scalp and enhancing hair regrowth. Some of the best hair regrowth products for women are:
- Nuhair Hair Regrowth for Women (A herbal hair regrowth product in tablets form)
- Equate Hair Regrowth for Women
- Women’s Rogaine Extra Strength Hair Regrowth Treatment, 2% Minoxidil
- Lipogaine for Women
Natural Hair Regrowth for Women
Female pattern baldness also referred to as androgenic alopecia or female pattern hair loss is a common problem that about 40 percent o women will experience at some stages of their life. As a matter of fact, hair loss is so common that some people view it as a natural sign of aging as opposed to a medical ailment.
In addition to genetic factors and aging, hair loss in women can be due to other factors ranging from poor diet and hormonal imbalance, to tight hair styles, thyroid problems, certain ailments, stress and side-effect to certain medications.
Hair loss in women varies from hair thinning all over the scalp to distinct hair loss (balding) at the crown of the head.
Women however seldom develop a thinning hairline on the front as is commonly seen in women. The Savin Scale is typically used to document female pattern hair loss.
Research suggests a close link between healthy hair and self-mage. Female pattern hair loss can thus be distressing to some women and can easily lead to poor self-image and low self-confidence. Just consider the fact that a bad hair day can be distressing to most women and you will get a picture of what having to contend with hair loss on a daily basis.
This may explain the diversity of products that we see all over being promoted as solutions for natural hair regrowth in women. These range from creams to tonics and supplements, but according to Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a dermatologist at Permanente Medical Group in California, “Most natural hair treatments are bunk”.
Although most natural hair regrowth products for women have not been well studies, there are numerous of them that can help you manage your hair loss.
Although holistic treatment for hair loss is often recommended, integrating proper nutrition, hair regrowth treatment and treatment of any underlying conditions such as thyroid problem, some natural remedies for hair regrowth in women may work very well exclusively on their own.
Here are a few therapies for natural hair regrowth in women:
Watch your diet
Nutrition plays a key role in ensuring proper scalp health. Sally Kravich, MS, CNHP, a holistic nutritionist recommends getting nutrients and minerals from the food you eat. It is particularly important to get enough protein since it is important in strengthening of hair and enhancing hair growth.
It is also advisable to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diets by including nuts and seeds (e.g. walnuts and flaxseeds), eggs, and fish (including sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel) at least twice or thrice per week.
Iron, zinc, and biotin (a vitamin in the vitamin B complex) are as well important for natural hair regrowth for women. Biotin is in particular very important since its deficiency in the body causes hair fall.
Ensuring proper diet is one of the most important natural hair regrowth remedies for women (and men alike).
Mind-Body treatment therapies
If stress is the underlying cause of hair loss mind-body treatment therapies such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, and guided imagery therapy can help trigger a regrowth of hair.
Supplements
Supplements can also help in hair regrowth for women. You may particularly want to consider an uptake of GLS (gamma-linolenic acid) which is an essential fatty acid that is usually available in health food stores as capsules or soft gels.
Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto, or Serenoa repens, is often touted as one of the best natural treatment for hair regrowth. Traditionally used in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), saw palmetto is reportedly helpful in hair regrowth treatment although this has been at the centre of controversy.
Some doctors and scientists refute the claims, saying that the effects are very modest while others such as James A. Duke, PhD who is an authority in herbal medicine and the author of Green Pharmacy holds the opinion that saw palmetto indeed promote hair regrowth by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the hormone responsible for hair loss.
Other for hair regrowth for women considerations:
- Handle your hair gently and avoid hair styles that cause excessive tension e.g. ponytails and buns, or pull or twist your hair too much.
- Apply essential oils such as Rosemary and lavender which help to nourish the scalp and encourage hair growth.
Hair Regrowth Treatment for Women
There are various hair regrowth treatment options for women.
Minoxidil: Minoxidil is one of the pattern hair loss treatment options approved by FDA for use in women. Minoxidil is normally marketed under the name Rogaine. FDA approves the use of 2% minoxidil, applied topically, as opposed to the 5% recommended for use in men.
Image: a lady applying minoxidil
Minoxidil helps to slow down or stop hair loss completely in most women but has been shown to help with hair regrowth in about a quarter of the users. It however needs to be mentioned that the results remain for as long as you continue using it; the hair grown can get lost in a matter of just 3 months if you stop using minoxidil.
Laser hair regrowth treatment for women: Low Level Laser Therapy can also be used to enhance hair growth by stimulating the hair follicles. This involves the use of devices that emit low-level laser energy in clinics or at home using small hand-held laser treatment devices such as the iGrow head caps and HairMax LaserComb.
Laser treatment for hair regrowth is the third hair loss treatment option to be approved by the FDA. Studies have shown that it takes 2 too 4 months for results to be seen. However, since FDA doesn’t demand the same rigorous testing of devices as it does for medicines, long-term consequences and effectiveness of laser treatment remains largely unclear.
Hair transplantation for hair regrowth in women: hair transplantation is a surgical procedure that involves moving hair from donor sites to the thinning or balding areas.
The nature of female pattern baldness which is often characterized by hair thinning all over the head as opposed to male baldness which hardly affects the back of the head means that female hair transplantation is often faced with the challenge of finding appropriate donor areas.
Hair Regrowth for Black Women
According to Amy McMichael, MD, professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre, the hair of black women (African-American) has some kind of “innate fragility” which can manifest in more frequent hair breakage and hair loss.
Dermatologists have discovered that the hair shaft of black women is flatter than that of their White and Asian counterparts.
In one study where 30 African-American and 30 white women were surveyed, McMichael found that the hair of African-American women has a tendency to be drier. 60 percent of African-American women felt that their hair was excessively dry with 67 percent of white women saying that their hair had normal moisture.
This sort of dryness is often manifested in hair breakage and as McMichael reports, white women are more than 3 times less likely to develop hair breakage than the African-American women.
McMichael notes that hair loss ranks among the top ten reasons that African-Americans see a dermatologists, at number 7 out of 10 to be precise. Hair loss typically happens on the front, back, and on the temples.
Braiding too tight is one common reason for hair loss. Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia, or CCCA, is another common cause of hair loss in women and is manifested in scarring on the crown and front part of the scalp. Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia is thought to be linked to long-term use of chemical hair treatment e.g. hair straighteners.
McMichael recommends adopting proper hair care regimen as a great way to reduce vulnerability to hair breakage and loss and may be trigger hair regrowth. She especially recommends using gentle cleansing shampoos and conditioners. McMichael also suggests staying away from relaxers and colors for a while if your hair is especially fragile.
You may as well consider using minoxidil (Women’s Rogaine hair regrowth for women), laser treatment or hair transplantation if hair loss is hereditary and/or quite substantial, or doesn’t show any improvement with the adoption of the above hair care regimen.
Laser Hair Regrowth for Women – Advantages
Laser hair regrowth is increasingly being used for treatment of androgenetic alopecia or pattern hair loss in women and men alike. Advantages of laser hair regrowth for women (or men for that matter) include:
- No adverse effects have been reported among users of laser hair regrowth treatment
- It is painless, although some patients have reported a little tingling in the scalp
- It doesn’t involve thermal burning of the skin which is associated with traditional laser treatment
- It can be done at home using portable laser devices such as the HairMax lasercomb and the iGrow head cap
- It can lead to hair regrowth on the crown as well as the hairline (although women hardly get thinning hairline)
- Notable results are often seen in 12 to 26 weeks
Hair Regrowth for Women Reviews
It is prudent to look around for reviews of any hair regrowth product you come across to avoid wastage of time and your hard earned money with products that simply don’t do their intended job.
Our research on hair regrowth products for women, based on manufacturer’s information, experts’ opinions, and customer reviews and ratings revealed the following as some of the best reviewed products for women:
- Women’s Rogaine Extra Strength Hair Regrowth Treatment, 2% Minoxidil
- Nuhair Hair Regrowth for Women (herbal tablets)
- Equate Hair Regrowth for Women
- Lipogaine for Women
